As Independence day is quickly approaching, the Indiana State Fire Marshal is reminding Hoosiers about dangers of buying fireworks from unauthorized sellers. State Fire Marshal Jim Greeson said in a news release on Monday quote “Safety should be the first consideration for anyone planning to use fireworks, and that starts with only buying consumer-grade fireworks from authorized sellers.” The Fire Marshal says that fireworks should only be purchased from retailers that have a valid Indiana fireworks sales permit and that it is o-k to ask the retailer to show the permit if it is not on display. Hoosiers can also call the IDHS Division of Fire and Building Safety at 3-1-7-2-3-2-2-2-2-2 if the retailer is not displaying a copy of the permit and cannot present it.

The Fire Marshal also is reminding Hoosiers that fireworks cannot be sold to or purchased by anyone under the age of 18, to store fireworks in a cool and dry place. Other reminders and suggestions include to consider buying glow sticks instead of sparklers for younger children, and to check the packages of fireworks to make sure that only 1.4G consumer fireworks are purchased, as any other type of fireworks are illegal for purchase in Indiana.

For more information on fireworks safety, you can visit GetPrepared.in.gov.